CASE STUDY: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Data Storage Company Develops Modern Selling Skills to Increase Pipeline
About the Customer
Vertical: Information Technology
Company: The data storage company is an independent reseller of new and certified pre-owned storage, server, and networking hardware and third party support provider.
Clients: Banks, Technology Companies, Nationwide Retailers, Telecommunications Companies, Higher Education and others.
About the Training
Challenge: Their prospects engage with sellers later in the buyer’s journey and have high expectations of reps to deliver personalized communication and provide value throughout their buying journey.
Solution: Vengreso’s Virtual, Instructor-Led Sales Training, Selling with LinkedIn® for Teams.
Results: The training provided immediate results. Sellers experienced more LinkedIn®profile views and more connections resulting in more conversations with prospects and existing customers.
Overview
The data storage company targets technology companies, universities, banks and Fortune 500 companies who are looking to save on the purchase and maintenance of their data storage equipment. Their sales team was still using traditional selling techniques that didn’t produce the results their sales leaders needed.
To meet the demands of their modern buyer, the company engaged Vengreso to deliver the Selling with LinkedIn® for Teams virtual, instructor-led sales training. This 15-week training and coaching program includes virtual live instruction, online learning and virtual live coaching sessions designed to change the mindset and the behavior of sales teams of 25 or more reps, resulting in more sales conversations.
Key Results
Average SSI (Social Selling Index) Score Growth.
Above average or better LinkedIn® acumen of sales reps after training.
Developed skills to make them more effective at their job.
Learned how to connect and engage with prospective buyers and clients.
Practiced skills taught during training to reinforce the lessons.
Received a response from a client or prospect during the 15-week training.
The Company
The data storage company simplifies the process of sourcing storage by offering the best products from the most-trusted manufacturers at affordable prices. As an independent reseller, they always recommend the product that best fits the client’s requirements, regardless of the manufacturer.
Some of the services they offer include: data storage solutions, from a single disk drive to 100TB storage arrays, including service and support; third-party maintenance, including 24x7x4 and Next-Business-Day support; and consulting on customized storage solutions.
The Challenge
Technology has changed the buying process. Modern buyers perform more independent research and connect with sales reps much later in the buying process.
The company’s leadership team recognized that their traditional sales techniques needed to be enhanced in order to continue the company’s growth trajectory. By adopting a modern sales approach, they realized their sales team could operate more efficiently and better serve current customers and prospects.
To better meet the evolving needs of IT operations, the company’s sales team needed to learn how to connect with prospects earlier in the sales process to become a trusted resource. The sales leaders understood that social selling techniques would help sellers find, engage, and connect with modern buyers on digital platforms.
According to LinkedIn®, 93% of decision makers say they’re more likely to consider a brand’s products or services if a sales professional provides personalized communications and 62% of decision makers look for an informative LinkedIn® profile when deciding whether to work with a sales professional.
CSO Insights research indicates that companies with a social selling adoption rate of 76% or greater report a win rate of 61.5%. Companies with less than a 25% adoption rate express a win rate of 41.9%.
The company recognized that their sellers had to personalize their messaging to differentiate from the competition. They had to change their sales cadence to address the specific concerns of each prospect, and identify the digital platforms which the prospect prefers to engage in, whether LinkedIn®, email or other channels.
Vengreso’s Selling with LinkedIn® for Teams
Module 1:
Module 2:
Module 3:
Be More “Attractive” – Your LinkedIn® Profile Makeover
Module 4:
Module 5:
Module 6:
Best Practices for Learning to Connect (Inbound)
Module 7:
Best Practices for Learning to Connect (Outbound)
Module 8:
Module 9:
Ongoing Coaching:
75%
The Solution
The data storage company invested in the Vengreso Selling with LinkedIn® for Teams training for their sales team. This virtual sales training program, which won a Gold Stevie® Award for Best Sales Training Product of the Year in 2019 and 2020, provides sellers and managers with modern selling skills.
These techniques help reps increase their pipeline of new business opportunities by equipping them with the skills to find more prospective clients and engage with existing clients to earn more referrals.
The Selling with LinkedIn® for Teams training was delivered through the Vengreso On Demand platform, supplemented by virtual live instruction and virtual live group coaching across the span of 15 weeks. The program is designed for long-term retention of the new techniques through a lecture, practice, and assessment process, which helps sellers recall information after the training is over.
The training teaches specific techniques sellers can apply immediately to their job, such as trigger events, the PVC Sales Methodology TM, and a sales cadence, to consistently connect with prospects. It also includes customizable messaging templates to send to prospects for a warm introduction and to existing clients to earn more referrals. Combined, these techniques help sellers fill their pipeline.
Why do we include live coaching and instruction with an on demand program?
Through our experience of training salespeople on how to leverage digital selling techniques (and we’ve trained over 140,000 sales reps) we’ve proved that training alone is not enough. To achieve success, we need to create behavior change.
Only with on-going coaching do participants build confidence and change their behavior, which is why our Selling with LinkedIn® for Teams training program includes individual and team coaching to reinforce key concepts and support new skills taught during the 9 training modules.
The Results
More Views
95% of sellers experienced an increase in LinkedIn®profile views. This trigger event, which is a starting point for conversations, means the data storage company’s sellers gained more exposure with their target audience.
More Connections
58% of sellers received a response from a client or prospect on LinkedIn® as a result of the training. These sellers are focused on turning their online connections into offline sales conversations.
More Conversations
74% of sellers engaged with prospective buyers or clients through LinkedIn®, providing the foundation for more sales conversations. The next step is to take these conversations offline.
Additionally, 37% of sellers booked an appointment during the 15-week training program using the lessons learned. And, 37% gained a commitment to receive a referral introduction.
During the 15-week training, 11% of the data storage company’s reps closed a deal using the techniques taught during the training. With an average deal value of $5,000 and an average lifetime value of a customer at $10,000, these Closed-Won opportunities provided immediate ROI. As sellers continue to apply the modern selling skills taught in the training they will be able to leverage digital platforms to build their pipeline.
LinkedIn® is a registered trademark of LinkedIn® Corporation
Future Considerations
On-going Coaching:
The training we delivered across the span of 15 weeks is a proven approach. On-going coaching is imperative to reinforce and support new skills by providing participants an opportunity for continuous learning, confidence building and behavior change.
Selling with Video for Teams – Virtual Bootcamp:
Vengreso’s Selling with Video Virtual training program teaches sellers how to leverage video to create even deeper relationships with prospects and existing customers. The training includes a review of available technology and provides templates to jump start sellers with video messaging.
Learn more about our NEW Selling with Video Virtual Bootcamp.